Midnight Checkers
by Schadenfreudeh
Summary: When a sudden deluge traps the Brawlers and a certain masked villain on an unfamiliar street, they take refuge in a slightly shady cafe. However, they'll soon learn that staying warm and dry comes with some very cliched strings attatched...
1. Chapter One: A Cafe of Cliche

**Author's Note:** This is intentionally terrible, I promise. It was created for the sole purpose of proving to my good friend and nemesis that I CAN post bad fanfiction, I just… choose not to. For obvious reasons! This was supposed to be a one shot, but I suppose it'll probably get another instalment since I ended it a little… abruptly, it's true. Look/ don't look forward to it.

**Disclaimer**; I don't own Bakugan. I don't really watch it either… I own The Author and Seth, however, both of whom I am quite involved with. Oh, and the unknown voice doesn't belong to me, either. The unknown voice KNOWS who it belongs to…

---

_It was a dark and stormy night.  
_  
Literally.

Masquerade had, of course, picked that particular night to bother Runo enough to send them screaming from the family restaurant. Being the kind and easily amused friends that they were, the rest of the Brawlers had joined them at a more… leisurely pace. And then, having decided they were far enough from the house, the skies opened and dumped buckets of freezing rain on their heads. Some took the situation better than others.

"MY HAIR!" Julie shrieked, almost perfectly parroted by Masquerade. Both desperately flung their arms over their heads, eliciting eye rolls from the rest of the group.

"What great timing," Runo sighed sarcastically, barely heard over Julie's increasingly shrill yells, "now we've got to run all the way back to the house."

"No, look!" Alice said, tugging Runo's sleeve and pointing, "There's a little store still open over there! Let's go wait out the storm."

Julie quieted almost immediately. "Dry? It's dry! Let's go! Ohh, I really hope they have a hairdryer!" She took off towards the dim yellow lights in the distance, wet ponytail slapping against her soaked pink outfit.

Runo looked over at Masquerade, expecting him to be just as eager to fix his hair as the Australian. Instead, she was more than shocked to find that his hair was defying everything science had ever told her, gravity included. Wet though it may be, his mess of blonde hair was still absolutely perfect.

"Wh-wh… how..?" She stammered, grabbing her own limp, electric blue pigtail in disbelief.

"Genes," He replied simply, "Now get inside." A small bell jingled overhead as he ushered her though the door.

The 'store' turned out to be a café with about eight tables, a fireplace, and a homey atmosphere. They seemed to be the only customers, save for the duo talking at the corner table. One was a girl, with dark brown hair, an expression of diabolical cruelty, and a t-shirt that read 'I LOVE DAKOTA.' The other was a blonde boy in traditional waiter dress and an air of extreme apathy. They looked up as the Brawlers entered.

"Oh, super!" The girl exclaimed, slapping her hands palms-down on the table and standing to greet them, "I've been waiting for you!"

"Been… waiting?" Dan questioned.

"Well, yeah. What else to you expect me to while you guys took your sweet time to show up? Play solitaire?"

"No, what I meant was..."

"I know what you meant, Kuso."

"How did you..?" Dan's face lit up with sudden realization. "Psychic! You must be psychic! Stand behind me, Runo, I won't let her get you!"

"Honestly, Dan…" Runo said, sighing heavily.

"You know, Runo, I could probably protect you much better than he ever could," Masquerade drawled, his tone more than a little suggestive. Runo just glared.

"Hey now, let's keep this PG, kiddos," The girl interjected, arms folded. "I will not have sexual tension in my café."

"Sexual tension? There's nothing _sexual _about it!" Runo burst.

"Hush!" The girl demanded, throwing her arms in the air dramatically. The room went silent. "Huh. Never thought that would actually work. Anyways, Seth, show them to their tables! We have a checkers tournament to run!"

"Checkers?" Alice asked as the bored blonde led them to a table. "No, you don't understand, we were just…"

"No, _you_ don't understand, my red-headed friend," The girl said, interrupting mid-sentence yet again, "you are here to play checkers. Fate has said it is so."

"Fate? Who believes in that sort of nonsense?" Julie scoffed, twisting her wet hair around her finger in an attempt to curl it.

The girl glared. Julie went quiet.

"Well, if we're going to play in your checkers tournament, could we at least ask why?" Masquerade reasoned.

"Because I'm bored? Seth isn't great company." She glanced over her shoulder at her waiter friend, who was idly wiping out an empty mug.

"Now hold on a moment!" Dan exclaimed, rising out of his seat, "Who said we want to play your game, huh? What if we want to leave? Who are you, anyways?"

"So many questions! I just want to… hit you, or something," the girl said, waving her arms in an agitated fashion in Dan's general direction. "I am the Author, supreme dictator of all things great. You are here to play checkers because it is raining outside and I have locked all the doors…"

"What?" The Brawlers said, almost in unison. The Author glared them into silence again.

"…and because if you don't, we'll play Truth or Dare instead, and I don't think you want that." The silence that met her words seemed to act as agreement. The Author surveyed the scene happily before theatrically pulling a piece of chalk from the pockets of her jeans. It was a sickly green in color, and she used it to draw three lines on the table the Brawler's were sitting at, seemingly dividing them into three groups. "Alrighty!" She sang, slipping the chalk back into her pocket and placing her hands firmly on her hips, "I will now introduce you to the teams! Forced couple number one: Dan and Runo!" After the announcement, The Author began to clap with enthusiasm. After a pointed glare, Seth joined in.

"What? No!" Runo exclaimed, "We're not a couple at all! In any way!"

"Does it maaatter? No!" The Author overrode, sending Runo back to her seat with a pout. "And next up, forced couple number two: Masquerade and Julie!"

This announcement caused outrage from almost everyone, including an unknown voice from the back of the cafe that Seth set off to quiet immediately.

"Prisoners?" Masquerade asked, raising an eyebrow behind his mask.

"Another thing that doesn't matter!" The Author replied, dodging the topic completely. "And now, for our final team! Forced couple number three: Alice and Shuuuun!"

The final pairing was met with little fanfare, which seemed to disappoint the Author somewhat. "Seth! My checkerboard!" She demanded snappily, hand held out expectantly. The ever-silent waiter procured the board from some mysterious pocket in his apron and held it out. She grabbed it, tossed it on the table, and threw down two jars of playing pieces to go with it.

"Team one VS. Team two! Ready, Set… BATTTTLLLLEEE!"


	2. Chapter Two: Strategy Napkins

**Author's Note**: And here we go again! I'd like to get this over with quickly so I can move on to (possibly) more serious projects. Don't mind the clichés; I promise they don't bite. Much.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bakugan and its assorted characters, etc. However, Seth is the creation of my own twisted mind, as is The Author, who plays almost no role in this chapter. The thought is there, as is her crazy café.

---

The world has never seen a more epic battle of checkers.

Masquerade and Dan's bitter rivalry seemed to have multiplied some as they both sat in front of the board game, their partners more than completely forgotten. It had already been an hour since the game had began, and only three moves had been made. Masquerade was currently heavily considering his next move as Dan scribbled possible strategies on a napkin.

"You know what I could _reeeeally_ go for right now?" Julie drawled, draped lazily in her chair. "Coffee. Hey, barista boy, think you could make me a cup?"

Seth, the 'barista boy' in question, decided to ignore her.

"I don't think he talks to blondes," Runo remarked with a light giggle. Julie glared at her.

"That's crazy! I'm a perfectly easy person to talk to. And on top of that, _he's_ blonde, which means if he didn't talk to me he'd just be a hypocrite."

Masquerade finally picked up one of his black pieces and moved it diagonally. It was a totally redundant move.

"Uhhh, this is taking foreeeever!" Julie moaned, checking the window once again. It was still pouring rain outside, and didn't show any signs of stopping. "Honestly, guys, its checkers. How intense could it really be?"

Neither of them answered.

It was quiet for a while as Julie fumed. "Hey, Seth?" Alice asked suddenly.

"Mhm?" Seth replied monosyllabically.

"What time is it?"

Looking a little surprised by the simple question, Seth checked the very old-fashioned watch he was wearing on his wrist. "It's a little past midnight."

"Wow," Alice said, sinking back into her seat, "it's been raining for a while."

"Oh, so you'll talk to _her_, will you?" Julie demanded, rising out of her seat, hands on her hips, looking at Seth accusingly.

"'Her' used my name," he responded, finally setting aside the glass he'd been drying for at least half an hour.

"Jeez! Picky, aren't you?" She grumbled, sitting back down.

"Oh no you did NOT!" Masquerade suddenly burst. "I call foul!"

"Nuh-uh," Dan responded somewhat childishly, pulling one of Masquerade's pieces off the board, "that move was perfectly legal."

Silent but still fuming, Masquerade immediately jumped Dan's nearest piece. What ensued was a very short sequence of jumping over one another's pieces until the only ones that remained were the four pieces in the back row they had diligently been keeping stationary.

"Now… it gets _serious_." Dan said ominously, consulting his napkin.

Once again, silence reigned. It was broken by a sudden outburst from the basement that The Author had retreated to shortly after the game had begun. A loud chorus of what sounded like victory music played as she celebrated.

"Take THAT, Yggdrasill!" They heard faintly as she settled down again.

"…Do I want to know what she's doing?" Julie asked, one eyebrow quirked.

"Video games," Seth explained shortly, "do you still want that coffee?"

"Do I ever!" She exclaimed, "I honestly think I'm going to pass out. Checkers isn't really my style."

"Heeey…" Runo said suddenly, slowly rising from her seat, "do you think she really locked the doors? Maybe she was kidding. Maybe we can leave!" Growing visibly more excited, she quickly strode to the door, which – as expected- didn't budge.

"Hah! I win!" Masquerade exclaimed, rising out of his seat and pointing at Dan in a very unsportsmanlike way, "Take that, _Kuso_!"

"You win this time, Masquerade," Dan said dramatically, also springing from his seat, "but the next time we face each other in battle, I will defeat you!"

Nearly everyone face palmed.

---  
**Author's Note**: SHORT CHAPTERR. Fear the horrible abrupt ending! FEAR IT!  
Also, I think this is one of the very few times I have used the word 'monosyllabically.' VOCABULARY.  
And that bit about Julie 'quirking' her eyebrow? I don't think that's right. 'Cocking' it just seemed… inappropriate, for some reason. Don't shoot!  
But yeah. Probably one more chapter? And then this will be finally over. Yay? Nay?  
And I'm surprised someone who isn't Kota actually read this. Review so I know you exist?  
THAT'S ALL FOLKS.


	3. Chapter Three: Freedom?

**Author's Note**; Well, here we go. It's over. This chapter was a little rushed, I'm afraid. I might spruce it up later, but for the time being, I'd just like this to be done. XD I've got a FictionPress project in the works, and I'm finding it awfully hard to think of new fanfiction ideas while I've got this train wreck still going on.

Well here's the finale, to be replaced in the future. Enjoy?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bakugan, and you should never enter shady café's at midnight. Common sense, kiddos!

It was still raining.

The door was still locked.

The Author was still in the basement with the key, Julie still didn't have her coffee, and Runo was on the verge of falling asleep. Dan and Masquerade were glaring at each other across the table (well, Dan was; it was hard to tell what Masquerade's eyes were doing behind the mask.) Out of pure boredom, Shun and Alice had taken the former competitor's seats and had started a somewhat tamer match of their own.

Alice, as it turned out, was absolutely horrid at checkers. Almost every move, she moved her pieces directly in the line of fire of Shun's, who, being a gentleman, tried not to jump them. A stalemate ensued.

Seth, finally walking by with Julie's coffee, noticed. "What on earth are you doing?" He remarked to Shun, picking up one of his pieces and jumping three of Alice's in one move. She looked on, wide-eyed.

"You can _do_ that?" She asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah. I just did." Seth replied, handing Julie her drink.

The Australian stared down at it disdainfully. "That's it? No cream or sugar?"

"You didn't ask for cream or sugar."

"I figured it was a given!"

"Well, it's not."

Runo interrupted with a very loud yawn, almost throwing her head down on the table in an attempt to get some sleep. Shun was attempting to coach Alice as to how to play Checkers, and Julie had decided to ransack the café for some cream and sugar. A great night indeed.

The Author finally decided to poke her head out of the basement, strategy guide in hand. "Seeeth," she whined, "Kratos is being a bitch again. Make me some coffee?"

"Cream and sugar?" He asked, grabbing a mug off the rack.

"Mhm. The usual," she yawned loudly, finally noticing the Brawlers. "You guys are still here?"

"Of course we are!" Julie said loudly, "you've got the key to the door! And why does she get cream and sugar?" She demanded, whirling around to face Seth, who was now handing The Author her caffeine.

"She asked."

"Agh!" Julie cried, throwing her hands in the air and collapsing back into her seat. "You know what? I'm going to drink your disgusting black coffee, and I'm going to like it."

"Soooo," The Author drawled, settling in next to Shun and Alice's game, "what's going on?"

Neither answered.

"So you see," Shun instructed quietly, "now you can pick up this piece and put it _there_, which means you can take it off the board."

"Hellooooo?" The Author insisted, a little louder.

"Oh, I get it now!" Alice exclaimed, "that's really simple. I guess I'm a little rusty."

"_Guys?_"

Still nothing.

"Oh, fine, be that way!" She huffed, "Seth, I'm bored with them. Go shut off the rain machine."

"_Rain machine_?" Everyone echoed.

"Well, yeah. I get bored easily, so I usually just turn on the rain whenever someone wanders onto the street."

"And you make them play checkers?" Shun asked, incredulous.

"No, last week it was chess. Oh, here's the key." She tossed it at Runo. It bounced off her head, thankfully waking her up.

"We're free? We can _leave_? Freedom!" She shouted, grabbing the key and dashing to the door. She fumbled in her excitement and it took at least a full minute for her to open the door. Outside, the rain had stopped. It was dark- after all, it was almost two in the morning- but Runo was fearless. She strode out the door almost immediately, followed by everyone else.

They had only walked a few feet when all the lights went out in the café behind them. Slightly perturbed, they continued to head back to Runo's restaurant.

Halfway home, it started raining. Lights flickered on in the distance.

"Should we…?" Alice began.

"Keep walking," Runo growled.


End file.
